title: Erectile dysfunction, penile atherosclerosis, and coronary artery vasculopathy in heart transplant recipients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Vascular erectile dysfunction (ED) is the expression of a systemic vascular disease and in particular of endothelial dysfunction. Dysfunctional endothelium plays also a significant role in the onset and progression of coronary artery vasculopathy (CAV).
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This pilot study was designed to evaluate the prevalence and pathogenesis of ED and its correlation with CAV in heart transplanted male.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 77 male heart transplanted patients (HTx) evaluated in our center (mean age 61.6 + 10.6 years) were enrolled in the study.
  
  
  METHODS
  All subjects underwent accurate medical history collection, including lifestyle (cigarette smoking, dietary and sedentary habits, drug intake, and erectile function before cardiac transplantation), physical examination (body mass index and arterial pressure), biochemical blood tests (fasting glucose, total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and triglycerides), and hormones (prolactin, luteinizing hormone and total testosterone). Furthermore, they were studied with penile, carotid, femoral echo-color Doppler ultrasonography and coronary angiogram.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Incidence of ED was 24% before HTx and increased up to 65% after. Postischemic cardiomiopathy was an indication to HTx in ED group more frequently than in patients without ED (No-ED group) (45.1% vs. 20%). ED patients showed a lower peak systolic velocity, a higher cavernosal intima-media thickness (IMT), a higher prevalence of cavernosal plaques (26.7% vs. 5.2%, P < 0.05), peripheral vascular disease (60.87% vs. 26.1%, P < 0.05) and CAV (45.8% vs. 25.8%, P < 0.05) with respect to No-ED patients. Coronary flow reserve was significantly reduced in ED vs. No-ED patients (2.43 + 0.7 vs. 2.9 + 0.8, P < 0.04). Finally, cavernous plaque and testosterone plasma levels were statistically associated with CAV.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We showed that ED is a frequent disease in HTx patients, more common when the original pathology is postischemic cardiomiopathy and associated with higher prevalence of cavernous plaques and CAV. Its evaluation should be integral to an HTx rehab program.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Medicine, Section of Clinical Pathology, Centre for Human Reproduction Pathology, University of Padova, Padova, Italy.
authors.forename: Nicola
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Caretta
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Feltrin
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Tarantini
authors.forename: Chiara
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: D'Agostino
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Tona
authors.forename: Mirko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Schipilliti
authors.forename: Riccardo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Selice
authors.forename: Nadia
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Minicuci
authors.forename: Gino
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Gerosa
authors.forename: Carlo
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Foresta
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D050197:Atherosclerosis / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D059168:Carotid Intima-Media Thickness; D017023:Coronary Angiography; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D003326:Coronary Circulation; D016027:Heart Transplantation / Q000009:adverse effects*; D006801:Humans; D018783:Impotence, Vasculogenic / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D015994:Incidence; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010410:Penile Erection; D010413:Penis / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D010865:Pilot Projects; D058226:Plaque, Atherosclerotic; D015995:Prevalence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013739:Testosterone / Q000097:blood; D018615:Ultrasonography, Doppler, Color
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D013739:Testosterone
keywords: Coronary Artery Vasculopathy; Endothelial Dysfunction; Erectile Dysfunction; Heart Transplant